Truth Conquers All
by rugbygirl53
Summary: Morning after scene! Castle and Beckett wake up together, realizing how far they have come and how far they have to go.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: My take on the morning after scenario! First fanfic, let's see how it goes! M for safety and maybe later chapters. **

**Disclaimer: If I wish hard enough, can I own them? Until then, Andrew Marlowe owns them!**

Richard Castle, against his will, had almost perfected the art of one night stands. He would maybe spring for breakfast but would then try to hustle them out before being caught by Alexis or Martha. Today, however, was a different story.

This was anything but a one night stand. This was Kate Beckett. This was the wave of cherry scented hair. The whisper of her breathing. The slow crescendo of ecstasy that tasted of overwhelming need. This was what he wanted. Him and her together in a way as old as civilization. He had never thought of sex as beautiful but with Kate, any and everything was. Castle gazed at her sleeping form, in the back of his mind wondering if it was vaguely creepy that he was watching her, but he couldn't help himself. He could see the traces of sun starting to seep through his windows, and he suppressed a sigh. She had clasped his hand in hers. He had pressed her up against the door, against the wall, against his body. But she hadn't said those words. Her lips had parted as tides of pleasure had hit her. "Rick, right there, right there" And he had listened, curled his fingers, increased his pace, realized she was not ready. Their bodies spoke to one another. Stay. Love me back. I'm sorry. That was under the moon's sympathetic eyes but now, they were under the sun's judging glare.

A shift in the sheets startled Castle and he was once again reminded that this was anything but a one night stand. She looked at him with an unreadable expression. There was so much to say, so much stirring beneath the surface. This was his muse, his partner, his best friend, and he wanted to wake up to her everyday. Yet he couldn't help but wonder, " Does she? Want to stay? Want me? Love me?" And as he peered into her eyes, she opened her mouth and began to speak. A gush of words. A gush of tears. She hurt him and he had hurt her. They were at a crossroad, tangled in the sheets, tangled in deceit. Castle deserved the truth. Castle deserved everything she could possibly give him. But did she deserve him?

**A/N: R&R? **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Still not mine. Still wishing it was.**

The first thing out of Kate's mouth was, " I resigned." Castle sat up slowly, as if any sudden movement would scare her off. He had learned a long time ago that sometimes it was better to let her speak, as hard as it was for him to contain himself. " I was hanging on the edge of building thinking that that was the end of my life. I wasn't thinking about my mom or Maddox; I was thinking about you," she choked out. She wasn't looking at him anymore. "Everything is so intertwined, " she continued, " every time I knock a wall down, there's another moat to jump over or a bridge burned. And what just happened with us changes everything yet again, Rick." Her words were tripping over each other, and Castle reached over to grab her hand and grip her. She was taking leaps now, taking his silence as approval to keep talking.

"Do you remember last year when you told me that I had been chasing my mother's case for so long that it wasn't even about her anymore? But that case is all I have. It's my mother's legacy, my whole career. How am I supposed to do anything knowing that there's an answer out there, and I just haven't found it? I want to be happy, Castle. I want cups of coffee in the morning to be enough. Believe me, I do, but I'm scared I'll wake up one day and realize it's not." Kate had pulled her hand away, waiting for him to speak, to push her away. This was a bad idea, sharing feelings, inner thoughts. Anything that could be used to hurt her someday.

"Kate, I have been here for four years. I have stood by you. I have-"

"You left me. With Jacinda, with Gina," Kate interrupted softly.

"You lied to me, " Castle pointed out.

"So did you," Kate replied.

"I guess we're at an impasse then"

Kate made a move to get up. " Maybe I should go." she whispered. For being a best selling author, sometimes Rick Castle could not find the words. He caught her before she reached the door. " Wait, I forgive you, Kate," Castle said feeling the bitter weight beginning to drift off his chest. " I was trying to hurt you back. I was vindictive. I was wrong. I want us. I want to make you coffee before we leave the apartment in the morning. I want to see your toothbrush next to mine. After a hard case or a breakthrough in your mom's, I want to be here, waiting for you," I want to love you, he thought, let me.

Castle took a deep breath, preparing himself for the worst while still feeling the simmering sliver of hope expand in his chest. Kate was expecting a fight, slammed doors, broken words, but all she felt was a keen need to slam him against the door and do the whole damn thing again.

" Castle, I-," but before she could make a clear sentence, his lips were on hers. Gently pressing against them. Caressing them with his warm, sweet breath. " Love me, Kate," he whispered against her, so softly he wasn't sure if she could hear.

" Castle, I-," she began again when a knock sounded through the apartment.

" Castle, are you there? It's Ryan"

**A/N: Thanks for the alerts, guys! Means a lot. Feel free to R&R. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Not mine! Would die of happiness if it was.**

Kate reluctantly took her lips off of Rick's, dazed and almost delirious at that point. The knocking was starting up again, a quiet rumble beginning to take off. Kate looked towards the door and back again. Her expression was quickly unsettled. Castle, sensing her hesitation, gently suggested, "Why don't you go the bedroom and let me handle this? You can come out if and when you feel comfortable." He squeezed her hand again lightly. Their conversation on the back burner at the arrival of Ryan, but Rick was going to make sure they finished it, make sure he would hear whatever she had to say. The knock sounded again.

"Castle, are you home?"

" Be right there."

Castle opened the door to a disheveled Ryan.

" Have you heard from Kate? Did she tell you what happened? It's not my business or anything. Well, I mean it was my fault, but have you heard from her? Have you seen her? Her phone is off. Javi's not talking to me. Gates is furious..." Ryan's words came stuttering out, each one more harried than the last.

Rick wasn't sure what to say. He didn't know what him and Beckett were anymore. He had to physically stop her from leaving her apartment, but the kiss, the kiss was excruciatingly tender. As if the kiss held all the words she couldn't or wouldn't say. He didn't want to give anything away without Kate's consent. He didn't want to be here, at this crossroad. Castle was tired of complicated, of obstacles and road blocks. Was it so much to ask for someone to love him the way he loved them? Was Kate's love so much to ask for?

" Castle, are you even listening? I'm worried about Beckett. I know you guys are in a rough patch, whatever. Have you heard from her?" Ryan's words interrupted Castle's musing.

" I've uh heard from her. Yeah." Castle mumbled hesitantly.

" You have? Is she okay? Is she mad? I mean Javi's mad. Javi's not talking to me. I had no choice, Castle. You gotta understand. It was her life on the line and her career. Everything was on the line. Everything was so-"

" I understand. I'm not angry. I would have done the same thing." He would do anything. Anything for Kate Beckett. Anything Kate wanted, she should have. Anything to take away the pain that blankets her, she should have.

"Do you think she's ready to talk to me?" Ryan asked, ruining Castle's inner monologue yet again.

" Do you think she's ready to love met the way I love her?" It slipped out before Castle could stop it. The words just dribbled from his lips. He wasn't especially close to Ryan. He had never said anything like that to anyone except for maybe his mother and Kate herself. Kate, he thought. Kate, who is upstairs probably listening to this conversation word for word. Kate, who was maybe ready to trust him again, had just heard him tell her partner, who she was currently on the outs with, his deepest feelings. Deepest feelings that took him three years to tell her, four if you don't count the first time because she had a bullet in her chest, came out to Ryan in a matter of disjointed seconds.

The silence was seeping across the room. Ryan was standing there with an unsure expression. It wasn't that bad what he did? Was it? No worse then her lying to him for a year.

"Maybe I should go.." Ryan said hesitantly. Castle was still standing there, wondering if there was some way to erase words, rewind time.

" I mean if Beckett's okay, and you've heard from her, I'll let the dust settle. She's probably still mad. Maybe I'll try Javi or something." By the time Ryan had let himself out, Castle was coming to his senses. He had to talk to Kate. Had to apologize. Not for saying what he said, but for saying it to Ryan.

He wanted them to be together. Castle and Beckett. Rick and Kate. He wanted to be able to tell everyone, to hear Lanie's inevitable scream of elation, and Martha's, " I knew it from the start" comment. Castle wanted to discover Kate. Her mind, her body, what made her smell like cherries. He found this spot on her, right near her hipbone, and it was so soft and tender. And when he touched it, she mewled and whispered out a laugh. A tiny sound from the strongest person he had ever met. He wanted to touch all of her scars because they showed who she was and who she is and what she stood and stands for.

There was just a little piece missing from Castle's fantasy. Kate's opinion. Kate's love. Kate's permission for him to love her the way he desperately wanted to. It all depended on Kate.

" Kate, can we talk?" He found her stretched out on the bed with her eyes closed. Hearing his entrance, she carefully sat up, mindful of her bruises that were beginning to appear.

"Rick, I'm ready."

She took her long, delicate fingers and stroked a lock of his hair away from his eyes. She's ready. Four years and the wall is crumbling. The wall isn't there. He's there. He's all around her, surrounding her with his unique scent, his vast chest and searching hands.

This wasn't going to be easy. She knew that. Just because they were together didn't mean they weren't going to have fights or bad days. He still will get out the car when she tells him to stay. She will close herself off and try and rebuild her walls. But this was them, and they were giving it a shot. They were-

" Dad? Are you here?" And suddenly reality was upon them, once again.

**R&R?**


End file.
